Catering company branches out during pandemic to deliver afternoon teas
A catering company which saw work dry up during the pandemic has branched out to delivering afternoon teas to try to stay afloat.
Diane Anthony, of Shifnal, runs Skyline Catering.
The firm offers all aspects of catering from corporate buffets to providing food and bars for family days and events.
It also caters for weddings – with its wedding service winning the National Wedding Awards 2019 – but after the Covid outbreak many jobs were cancelled or postponed.
Diane says the business, based in Bradley, near Bilston, has had to adapt and is now delivering afternoon teas which are proving popular with customers.
She said: “Because of Covid we had to transfer our weddings to the later part of this year and next year.
“We were still able to do some events for businesses. It affected the business massively, but we’ve gone on to do afternoon teas for home delivery.
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“We are delivering eight or nine a day. We did 104 deliveries on Mother’s Day.
“It’s generated us a lot of work.”
The firm, which has 21 employees, had to put some workers on furlough but Diane says everyone has kept their jobs. She says she is optimistic for the future, despite Covid dealing a massive blow to the economy.
“We will do what we have to do,” she said.
Diane rents a barn and unit space on Bradford Estates, near to where she also lives, to store equipment and vehicles for the business.
Alexander Newport, managing director of Bradford Estates, said: “We can’t believe it’s been 12 months since we went into our first national lockdown.
“Bradford Estates is a community and we always try to support our tenants wherever possible.”
